Matt Renzi's
"In Breath"
Friday 12 May 2017 at 8:00pm The Berkeley Hillside Club is pleased to welcome an old friend with a new project back to our stage. Matt Renzi has performed both as a leader and a side-man a number of times in our series; for this concert he will bring a wonderful woodwind-based quartet. Don't miss these remarkable artists performing in our historic and acoustically-excellent hall.
(Please note that, due to unavoidable circumstances, the previously-announced "Arm-Sized Legging" program has been replaced with "In Breath")
'In Breath' are: Mat Renzi - woodwinds Ben Goldberg - clarinet John Wiitala - bass Hamir Atwal- drums
About the Program:
'In Breath' is an expandable ensemble featuring woodwinds, bass and drums playing a repertoire of all original music.The music is rooted in the jazz tradition but also explores contemporary classical harmony as well as the Carnatic rhythmic system of South India. This version of 'In Breath' will feature the creative interplay of clarinet master Ben Goldberg and woodwind virtuoso Matt Renzi, along with the great rhythm section of bassist John Wiitala and drummer Hamir Atwal. .
About the Artists:
Multi-reedist and composer Matt Renzi has been performing professionally for the past 20 years at international jazz festivals and music venues worldwide. He holds a Bachelor’s in Music (Performance) from the Berklee College of Music and Master’s in Arts (Classical Composition) from San Francisco State University. Matt can be heard on a variety of recordings including the award winning “Lines and Ballads” (Fresh Sound Records) as well as his latest release entitled “Rise and Shine” (Three P’s Records) which features his New York trio. Matt has performed and recorded with Marc Johnson, Michael Formanek, Eddie Marshall, Herbie Lewis, Ben Monder, Eberhard Weber, Bob Moses, Ralph Alessi, Bobo Stenson, and the Berlin Philharmanic Quintet.
Beginning in 1992, when his group New Klezmer Trio "kicked open the door for radical experiments with Ashkenazi roots music" (SF Chronicle), clarinetist Ben Goldberg has established himself as “one of the most vibrant, flexible, and inventive clarinetists in jazz and improvised music” (Downbeat), “an artist who seems to find beautiful melodies at the end of every path." (NPR). Through his many bands and compositional projects The New York Times has noted Ben’s music for “a feeling of joyous research into the basics of polyphony and collective improvising,” and he was named #1 Rising Star Clarinetist in the Downbeat Critics Poll in both 2011 and 2013. Ben leads or co-leads The Out Louds, Invisible Guy, Unfold Ordinary Mind; Go Home, “a searching ensemble that welcomes lyrical improvisation while embracing the groove” (The New Yorker); Ben Goldberg School; and Ben Goldberg Trio with Greg Cohen and Kenny Wollesen. He is a member of the avant-chamber jazz ensemble Tin Hat; and performs in a duo with pianist Myra Melford called DIALOGUE. Bassist John Wiitala is a native of Oakland, CA. He started playing on the San Francisco Jazz scene in 1980 with Hal Stein, Jessica Williams as well as short stints with the Joe Henderson Big Band, the Joe Henderson/Warren Gale Quintet, and John Handy. John also backed countless visiting artists, among them Charles McPherson, Benny Golson, Roger Kellaway, Lou Levy, Enestine Anderson, Mark Murphy, Junior Cook, James Moody, Red Holloway, Jack Walrath, Joe Locke, Arthur Blythe, Delfayo Marsalis, Kenny Barron. John Has also toured Europe in Japan with artists such as Jessica Williams, Bruce Forman, Richie Cole and Arturo Sandoval.
Drummer Hamir Atwal is a Berklee College of Music graduate who has taught at Oberlin College, Peabody Conservatory, Stanford University, CalArts, and the California Jazz Conservatory. Hamir has performed with Bill Laswell, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, Patrick Wolff, Patrick Cress, Joshua Smith, Ben Goldberg, Darren Johnston, Myra Melford, Joshua White, Grant Levin, Larry Vuckovich, Michael Coleman, Shelley Berg, Dave Santoro, Ruben Rogers, Mike Sopko, Michael Formanek, Donny McCaslin, Kenny Wollesen, Drew Gress, and Stomu Takeshi.